Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Every week we go to the park to meet up with other homeschoolers. It gives the kids a chance to play together while the moms chat. If you have a toddler who thinks he's capable of doing things beyond his age limit though, it can be a lot of work following him around, making sure he's not diving off the playscape, or trying to take a swim in the creek with the big boys!

{Just a side note, the moms of these boys always have an extra pair of clothes on-hand in preparation for adventures such as these. I'm sure I'll be doing the same one day. :) }

The pay-off, however, is seeing the delight in my kids' eyes as they play tag or pretend to fish with a stick or chase squirrels up trees. It's so much fun to watch kids in action. It's a reminder in my own life to slow down a bit, to imagine more, to recognize beauty in nature, to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Back in August, I entered a contest put on by a friend, Viviana Killion, who is the incredible photographer behind Heartspun Imagery. She asked women to answer the question "Who are you?" in hopes of winning a photoshoot with her. This was my entry. I was one of three finalist to make the cut, and she was so sweet to give each of us our own photoshoot.

Now, telling a bunch of people who you think you are was not the easiest thing in the world. And the thought of a photoshoot by myself, without a kid to take the spotlight was a bit intimidating. However, Viviana knows how to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera, and she has an amazing eye for setting up shots. It was a lot of fun and I really can't sing her praises enough. Check out her fabulous photos on her Heart to Heart blog along with a few of the photos from my shoot:

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

This is just a little something I've been working on this week. It was a commission for my mom who wanted to send a thank you to some little "elves" who helped her set up the library at her school. It continues on the whole elf theme I've had going here lately. Who knows, I might have to write a book that fits these illustrations if I get enough of them painted!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

In honor of the cooler temperatures that have graced our usually scorching hot town, brace yourselves..... I'm posting my first ever tutorial! Excited? Well don't be, because I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to arranging flowers.

I have been itching to decorate for fall in hopes that the decorations will somehow, through science and magic, drop the temperature to a more tolerable level. But since the weather did this of its own will, I ran to the store to buy a wreath to spruce up my door. After checking the prices of decked out wreaths, though, I decided I could buy a four dollar unfinished grapevine wreath, use some leftover leaf bushels, and throw one of these things together in record time. How hard could that be?

Well, two hours later, with hot glue gun burns covering my fingers and much more respect for professional flower arrangers, I got the thing hung up on my door.

Here's how you can make your own:

Step 1:Gather Your Supplies

In my case, I gathered up whatever leftover fall decor I had which included fall leaf bushels, fake flowers, picks of fruits and pumpkins, a grapevine wreath, a hot glue gun, and loads of glue sticks.

Step 2:Start Demolishing

Seriously, start pulling all of those pretty bushels apart. Rip the flowers off their stems. Pull every little bit of delicate foliage off of their plastic bases.

Step 3:Arrange Your Pieces

For those of you who like to plan, start laying out how you want your pieces arranged on the wreath before attaching. Or, if you're like me, too impatient to do this and think it can't be that hard to arrange stuff as you go, skip this step and move on to step #4.

Step 4:Glue The Heck Out Of Everything

I mean it! Use a lot of glue to attach your pieces and start sticking the stuff on. Take advantage of your wreath and shove junk in between the vines for extra stability. Once you think you've got enough glue, glue some more. Don't worry about the glue strings covering the wreath; they look like spiderwebs and give your wreath that added effect of spookiness which is perfect for Halloween. Be sure to use caution when handling the hot glue gun, and don't glue yourself to the arrangement!

Step 5: Enjoy The Fruits Of Your Labor

If you made it through the steps, and haven't thrown your wreath away, this is the part where you can hang it on your door, look at it, and hope the pieces don't fall off with the slightest breeze.

Step 6:Oh Yes, There's More

After you've hung your wreath and given yourself a pat on the back go back inside, glance at the huge mess you've created and pray that somehow it will cean itself up.

So there it is, my first ever tutorial. Just 6 easy steps to wondering why you wasted so much time to save a few extra bucks!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Just a little update. I was met with a huge surprise on Friday regarding my Illustration Fridayentry last week. My version of "clutter" was chosen as the pick of the week!! As a result, this is what I've looked like all weekend:

And I'm sure this goofy grin will stay on my face all week, and maybe even into the following week. (What was that old wive's tale about making silly faces...?)

Anyways, I have been so excited and had to share while it is still up on their site!

Friday, September 12, 2008

After letting it grow for a couple of years, she finally chopped her hairoff. She's had this haircut before, but decided to let it grow out. Unfortunately, long hair isn't really suited to a tender-headed kid. So, after many painful battles with tangles, she (with a little prompting from the captain of the comb, me) decided to go for the short cut again. She told the hairstylist that she likes her long hair, but doesn't like it, too! So farewell long hair. We'll miss you, but not your tangles!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Really I just should have posted a picture of my house for this one, but since that would have been cheating, I opted to do an illustration. This is a spin off of last week's Illustration Friday entry. Instead of memories being filed away, this represents all of the clutter that gets built up in the mind over time. Useless facts, phone numbers that are no longer used, but can't be forgotten, advertisement jingles, etc., etc. Sometimes I think this "mind clutter" takes up useful storage space from new information streaming in, and that's why I forget so much. If only this clutter could be cleaned out to make room for more important information, data I actually want to remember. If only...

Monday, September 8, 2008

...as Audrie's coach would say. Well, soccer has started back up again. We didn't have a long break between seasons because Audrie's team opted to play indoor soccer over the summer which was an absolute blast to watch. (Not to mention the nice, air-conditioned building!) Audrie has come a long way since she first set foot on the field back in 2006. She cried at her very first game, but after that, you couldn't get her off field. Her talent on the soccer field is not something she inherited from Jonathan and I....we never played the game. Anytime I try to help Audrie practice, I end up pulling muscles in places I didn't even know I had muscles. Thankfully, Audrie got an experienced coach who has taught them so many skills from the beginning. I credit him for inspiring this love of soccer in Audrie. It's become a normal thing to see Audrie walk around the house with some sort of ball at her feet as if it's just a part of her stride. For her, it's not a conscious thing, it's another natural function, like breathing or blinking. It's been fun to see her growth in this game as well as the friendships she's formed with her teammates. I look forward to seeing how this team progresses in this game!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Have I told you how completely smitten I am with this kid? He is always up to something. He makes me laugh everyday. I wonder what goes on in that little head of his. He came into the kitchen today in this little ensemble. Blue glasses and an orange gun. These are his spider shooting clothes. Yesterday, he fought off fire ants with a sword and a container lid that has now become his shield. He wears his boots everywhere, and he rides a stick horse at least twice a day. The following is a conversation we held yesterday morning:

Finn: Oh no, Mommy! You have a boo boo! The mosquito bit you! You have to cover it.